April 21, 2017

expert reaction to research on possible spread of C. difficile via food distribution networks

New research being presented at the 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), uses DNA fingerprinting to examine which particular types of bacteria were causing infections in patients and how widely they are distributed in Europe.

Prof. Roger Pickup, Professor of Environment and Human Health at Lancaster University, said:

“This is an interesting study with a certain predictability. The spread of a wide pathogens and their possible antimicrobial resistance is well documented particularly where person-to-person is the significant mode of transmission. However, it is being increasingly recognised that other transmission routes could be significant for some pathogens.

“Food contamination, prevalence of zoonotic diseases in animal hosts amplified by cycling through environmental contamination is increasingly being recognised as significant for the spread of disease. Where there is little information of global spread, such as C. difficile, then more research is needed.

“Should be we be worried by our food?  ‘Yes’ – but correct cooking, storage and of course secure supply from uncontaminated sources are important considerations we make to maintain our own health in an increasingly microbially contaminated world.”

* ‘Clostridium difficile diversity across Europe from whole-genome sequencing’ by David Eyre et al. was presented at the 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. 

Declared interests

None declared